Nestled in the corner of the Rancho San Diego Town & Country Shopping center is a little taste of Gaslamp and the mouth watering flavors of fine Italian dining. Owner George Georges, who co-owns three other restaurants in the Gaslamp District, said living in East County he wanted to bring the uniqueness of the Gaslamp there, without the cost, crowds and many time hassle of heading out to the Gaslamp for a fine meal. And that he has done with Dolci Cafe Italiano.
Nestled in the corner of the Rancho San Diego Town & Country Shopping center is a little taste of Gaslamp and the mouth watering flavors of fine Italian dining. Owner George Georges, who co-owns three other restaurants in the Gaslamp District, said living in East County he wanted to bring the uniqueness of the Gaslamp there, without the cost, crowds and many time hassle of heading out to the Gaslamp for a fine meal. And that he has done with Dolci Cafe Italiano.
Cutting to the chase, it is a five star meal at a three star prices—and lower.
Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is a full service restaurant, quaint, comfortable in atmosphere, and great in taste. Its menu choices are wide in variety, is 95 percent local organic vegetables, free-range products, naturally fed beef and everything made from scratch from original recipes. About the only thing that is imported are aged cheeses and cold cuts, direct from Italy.
Chef Leonardo Daniele, originally from Sicily, came from a family of cooks with his father at one time one of the top ten chefs in Italy and his mother a pastry chef. Daniele’s owned two restaurants in Cabo San Lucas and New Orleans, worked at the Venetian and Wynn Las Vegas restaurants and asked to be the assistant chef for the Food Network’s “Iron Chef.”
A lover of seafood, the adventure began with the Risotto Pescatore, arborio rice, with a light red sauce not too heavy in spices fully loaded with jumbo shrimp, calamari, manila clams, fresh fish of the day (salmon) and topped with fresh steamed mussels. Whether together or picking it apart pieces at a time, all the wonderful flavors of fresh seafood were found.
Moving forward, thinking that nothing could top the fresh seafood, then came the Pollo Ligure. This dish, grilled free-range chicken breast, smothered with an artichoke, porcini mushrooms, lemon herb sauce and what seemed a delightful hint of white wine was nothing short of extraordinaire. Grilled but moist, the dish never required a knife, with a fork cutting through the chicken and a superb topping loaded with artichokes, savoring every bite was an experience in itself.
On the side, throughout the meal was a cutting board with chilled grilled red peppers, eggplant, zucchini and artichokes. Each with its own distinct flavor, they all cleansed the mouth with flavor, a perfect combination between bites of the main course. Along with some lightly crusted bread, the sample of delectable aged blue, parmesan and asiago cheeses, Italian green olives and a glass of the house Chianti, the meal was perfecto from beginning to end. And the presentation was as enchanting as the food.
Dolci Cafe Italiano has an impressive array of pastries, cannoli, tiramisu, crème brulee and one of the restaurants specialties, a wide variety of authentic homemade gelato. For the sweet tooth, this is a perfect location for a gourmet dessert served with fine Italian coffees.
Georges said it treats all its meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner the same and wants to give its patrons a taste of Italy without leaving East County.
Dolci Cafe Italiano changes its menu three times a year, with its most recent mix of menu dishes beginning last week. Georges said Dolci is well known for its frittatas, eggs benedict, Kobe beef, crepes and roast beef hash. He said his vision is to provide excellent food at affordable prices and due to the high standards of the food, many regulars frequent the cafe.
Dolci Cafe Italiano has a Happy Hour from 3-5 p.m., with beers and wines for $5 (15 percent off finer wines) and most appetizers running between $3 and $5. It has a full coffee shop, kid’s meals, and on Thursdays, members of the Armed Forces get a 15 percent discount on the entire bill.
One section of the restaurant is ready for the sports enthusiasts with wide screen TVs, it caters and has plenty of room for that special gathering or office party. Reservations are recommended for the dinner hour.
Dolci Cafe Italiano is located at 2650 Jamacha Road in Rancho San Diego and to see its entire menu items go to dolcicafeitaliano.com. To find out more about Georges’ other fine restaurants, located in the heart of the Gaslamp District, go to diningonfifth.com.
